Switzerland cuts 2026 asylum forecast to 22,000 applications

Switzerland received fewer than 10,000 asylum applications in the first half of 2026, the lowest figure for that period since 2022, SRF reported. The federal government now expects around 22,000 applications by the end of the year, down from its original forecast of 26,000.

The sharpest declines were recorded among applications from Afghanistan, Turkey and Eritrea. The State Secretariat for Migration said two factors contributed: fewer crossings on the central Mediterranean route and a lower number of refugees and migrants travelling along the Balkan route than in the previous year.

Applications for S status from people from Ukraine are also declining, according to the State Secretariat for Migration. Under the most likely scenario, the government expects 12,000 such applications by the end of 2026, around 900 fewer than in the previous year.